Self-supporting Na3V2(PO4)3 as cathode for aqueous zinc ion batteries

Aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIBs) have been proposed as one of the underlying electrical energy storage systems for large scale storage devices owing to the cheap price and environmentally-friendly features. As Na+ superionic conductor material, Na3V2(PO4)3 has been obtained much attention as cathode owing to high operation voltage and stable structure. However, the low electronic conductivity limits its electrochemical property. Herein, Na3V2(PO4)3 grown on carbon cloth (NVP-CC) has been successfully adopted as a cathode electrode in AZIBs. The electrochemical performance of the self-supporting NVP-CC is notably trumped over that of pure Na3V2(PO4)3, achieving an original capacity of 100.6 mAh g−1 at 1C, an enhanced rate property of 54.2 mAh g−1 at 10C, and a stable capacity of 41.6 mAh g−1 over 100 cycles at 10C. The inclusion of carbon cloth with high conductivity is beneficial to the exceptional cycling performance and rate property of self-supporting Na3V2(PO4)3.